Proposed Superman license plate for Ohio. The words "Ohio: Birthplace of Superman" are expected to be changed

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio Superman fans will have to wait until the fall to get their license plates honoring the state's most famous son, and don't expect to see the phase "Ohio: Birthplace of Superman" on it.

The bill to authorize the sale of Ohio license plates with the famous Superman insignia did not clear the Senate's transportation committee before the summer recess.

State Rep. Bill Patmon, who introduced the license plate bill in the house, said they would change the words "Birthplace" since DC and Warner Communications objected to it. They stressed the Man of Steel was born on the planet Kyrpton.

Superman was created by two Glenville High School teenagers, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, and was shopped around for several years before Superman appeared on the cover of "Action Comics" No. 1, which went on sale in June, 1938.

"We want to make sure the license plate is out for the 75th anniversary in 2013," said Patmon. "It will get out and come to a vote in the fall. The bill passed the House unanimously, and I expect it to get through the Senate with no problem.

Classic Superman pose by artist Alex Ross

Michael Olszewski -- president of the Siegel and Shuster Society which was formed to honor Superman and his Cleveland creators -- is excited about the plate and said that the change in the wording is no big deal.

"DC and Warner Communications have been cooperative," he said. "When we talked to Warner Communications, there was some discomfort over saying 'birthplace,' so we said we could fix that easily."

Olszewski sat down with Irving Fine, cousin to Jerry Siegel and a founder of the Siegel and Shuster Society, and they came up with 10 alternatives to the slogan.

"We sent them off to DC and Warner and are just waiting for them to pick one," Olszewski said. "I have people coming up to me all the time asking when they can get the plate. There's a lot of excitement about it."